Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Me, the Ultrarunnning Poseur

I recently sent the following email to a cousin with whom I gotten close in the past couple years. Our respective families were pretty much antisocial or asocial, so we missed out upon decades of potential relationship. Actually, since my cousin's dad and mine were identical twins, he pointed out that in essence we are genetically the equivalent of half-brothers. That's kinda something to think about.Anyway, I post this just to provide some personalbackground on MY running journey in case it may resonate with you and your experiences. But of course--and I just can't help myself--your mileage may vary....

Hope all is well with the doc. We go for our annual physicals next week, and hopefully we'll get a clean bill of health, although at our age (62, with me turning 63 in March) we take NOTHING for granted. Life has been a wonderful gift thus far, but things can certainly change in a literal heartbeat.

I'm so cognizant of my dad's heart issues, plus those of my brother xxxxx. I kinda stumbled into running as a sport and as a health enhancement when I was 27 when I changed jobs and had a life milestone and a fitness opportunity, and it stuck...and I've now been a regular runner since for 35 years. Marathons, 50 milers, and even three 100 mile races. I do think based upon medical research that running does convey some measure of heart health immunity, but we are all an experiment of one. Keeping fingers crossed.

People say to me how much they admire my dedication to running, but I feel like a poseur. I actually have grown to love running for the solitude and the time to think my thoughts--as much or as little as I wish--and I think I'd be a runner even if it were bad for me.

As I've said before, please don't stress about repairing my mom's clock. If you get it done or not, it's all good. I know that you are trying your best, and that's all that matters. I truly value our reconnection these past couple years.